Her Dragon's Soul (Dragon Guard Series Book 9) (5 page)

“We are here, at the Grotto of Prayer, a place long blessed
by our ancestors that went before us, to honor what the Universe put into place
all those many years ago. To acknowledge and bless the mating of Liam Alexander
Drennan to the one the Universe made for him, Hannah Marie McKennon. Will those
seeking to witness this union please step forward?”

From their place next to the gazebo, the eight Guardsmen
stepped forward. She knew they had all trained her mate, fought with him, bled
with him, and now shared the happiest moment of both their lives with
them
.
They knelt as one and bowed their heads. Rory then stood and addressed the
Elders, “We, the six of the Aherne Force and our brethren from the MacLendon
Force, wish to witness and offer our blessing to the union of these two souls,
two halves of the same whole. May they live long, fight hard, love harder, and
produce many young to flourish in this world when their souls have gone to the
Heavens.” He knelt next to his men and bowed his head once again.

Rian began again, “Your witness and blessing have been
acknowledged and accepted Aherne and MacLendon Forces. Liam Drennan, you may go
to your mate.”

Hannah didn’t even see him move before he was standing in
front of her with a look in his glowing hazel eyes that filled her with love,
adoration, and awe-inspiring humility. She was truly blessed by the Goddess and
the Universe to have found real love. He took her hands in his. All the emotion
and power he held for her flowed from his fingertips to hers.

Rian began again, “The Purple Dragons are warriors who
represent devotion and royalty. It is the purple dragons who first took the
throne of power from those that would’ve seen us destroyed, even before man
walked the Earth. The Universe shows favor on her purple-scaled warriors as
they delivered her chosen ones from certain death. They symbolize extreme
passion from the red side of their nature, which is balanced by the reason from
their blue-scaled ancestors. They use those characteristics to protect all they
hold dear and dole out justice fairly with unwavering commitment. Their love
never tires, but instead, grows stronger with each passing year. To mate a
Purple Dragon means to accept all that they are and honor the power shared
between mates.

“Now is the time of the marking. May the Universe continue
to bless you and yours all of your days here and in the Heavens.” She knew the
Elders were leaving by the boot strikes on the wood of the gazebo, but she
couldn’t look away from her mate and assumed the other Guardsmen had followed.

Hannah had no idea how long they stood ensnared in one
another’s gaze before Liam pulled her the last few inches to him. He lowered
his head and stopped right before his lips touched hers. His breath tingled on
her lips as he whispered, “
Ta’ mo chroi istigh ionat
,” before closing
the scant distance between them. The first brush of his lips touched every cell
of her body. A heat unlike any she’d known consumed her from the inside out,
laying her open, heart and soul, to her mate.

One perfect moment in all of time, just for us.

A sharp pain on the left side of her neck caused her to
flinch and try to pull away. Liam left her lips, taking a moment to look into
her eyes before trailing kisses across the sensitive skin of her neck until he
reached the tender spot. He licked and sucked until all thoughts of anything
but their bodies loving one another were banished from her mind. Her fingers
wound through his hair, pulling him closer as he continued to lavish her neck
and shoulders, making spontaneous combustion imminent. Pulling his mouth to
hers, Liam leaned back just as her lips would’ve met his and winked, denying
her what she desperately wanted.

“Are you trying to kill me?”
she asked, using their
mindspeak for the first time.

Liam threw back his head. Hannah saw a mark on his neck she
knew hadn’t been there before as he laughed his marvelous booming laugh, making
her tingle all over. She reached up, touching the brand that resembled a flame
with a scale in the center. As she ran the tip of her index finger over the
mark, Liam growled low in his throat. His fingers then found the spot on her
neck where she’d felt pain just a few minutes before. Intense arousal flooded
her body. Hannah was sure she would lose consciousness from just his fingertips
on her mating mark. As she looked into his eyes, he nodded, “Yes,
mo chroi’
,
they match, and if we don’t stop touching them, there
will
be no
stopping us.” He wiggled his eyebrows as she removed her hand from his neck.

“Now you stand right there. I have something I want to show
you.”

He winked as he backed away, leaving Hannah to imagine what
he was up to. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long before the feel of
magic, like a million butterfly kisses, touched every exposed inch of her skin.
She watched as the man who held her heart turned into an amazing purple dragon
right before her eyes.

“Come on over. I won’t bite…much,”
Liam teased.

“You better not breathe fire or anything else that might
mess up my dress.” She chuckled and then laughed aloud when she realized the
weird, almost hacking noise she heard was Liam laughing in his dragon form.

The front of his snout and nostrils were black and led to
numerous peaks and valleys, displaying every imaginable hue of purple scales
running from his nostrils to his eyes. Hannah marveled at all the different
patterns his scales made. She’d only made it as far as his face and already,
she was absolutely mesmerized.

The scales around his eyes were much lighter, almost
translucent, with a violet hue, and smaller than any other she could see. They
were layered in a protective manner that also accentuated the large
gold-flecked hazel orb looking down at her.

A row of imposing spikes started at the base of his head,
growing in length and width as they ran down the entire the length of his spine
and ending just before his tail. Glancing back to his head, she saw he also had
two very lethal looking horns growing from his brow ridge and curling back over
his cranium for at least six feet.

She walked closer, placing her hand on the side of his
muzzle, massaging as she moved towards his wings. They were gigantic, even
folded into his sides, she imagined they would cover the better part of the
grotto. The thin cartilage resembling veins ran throughout his wings,
accentuating the deep purple of his scales. The skin between those ‘spines’
felt like a heavy raw silk to the touch.

Making her way back to the front of the beast, she likened
his scales to hand blown glass, but the longer she touched them, the more she
could feel their incredible strength. Placing one hand next to the other, she
massaged under his jaw, feeling how much softer and thinner the scales were
there.

Hannah walked all the way around his head, making her way to
his hindquarter and back paw. She laughed aloud when faced with the huge
appendage before teasing,
“I’m glad dragons don’t need manicures.”

“Very funny,
mo ghra’
. Remember there are lots
more witch jokes than dragon ones, and paybacks are a bitch.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, tough guy.” 

 As she rounded his rear end and came to his tail, Hannah
was immediately reminded that these creatures were warriors. The tip of his
extremely long tail sported a huge triangular shaped spade, what she’d heard
the others call
tail-spikes
, covering the entire surface. One swipe and
she knew everything in its path would be devastated.

Walking back to his head, she kissed what she guessed was
his cheek, and stepped back. Magic filled the air, and once again Liam stood
before her, beaming like he’d hit his first home run and sexier than a man has
a right to be.

He guided her to a blanket expertly spread on the grass to
the side of the grotto. Once they were seated, he produced a small purple
velvet box. “What’s this? Presents? But I don’t have anything for you. You’ve
done too much, Liam.” She smiled while looking at the beautiful decorations and
thinking of the magnificent ceremony he’d just given her.

 “No way! You are my soul, Hannah Marie. The best part of
me. I’ll
never
stop showing you how important you are to me. If I could
wrap up the entire world and present it to you on a silver platter, I would,
just to have you always look at me just as you are right now.” He leaned
forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “
You
are all that matters,” he
whispered, and the depth of his emotions brought tears to her eyes.

Unable to speak, she nodded and then gasped as she opened
the box. There, lying against the purple velvet, were the most beautiful
earrings she’d ever seen. Two delicate bells, fashioned from purple dragon
scales, hung from petite golden chains, which flowed from emerald cut diamonds
that shimmered and shined. “They are absolutely stunning.” She laid her hand on
his cheek and sweetly kissed his lips.

“They were my mother’s. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to have
something new made especially for you, but I couldn’t let this day go by
without giving you just a small token of my love and devotion. I promise to get
you something all your own as soon as we get home. I already have Emma working
on designs.”

“You will do
no such thing
, Liam Drennan. I
love
these earrings! They are part of your heritage, a long, proud lineage I only
want to enhance and continue. I’ll wear these earrings every day of my life
with pride and try to live up to the woman who wore them before me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Liam chuckled and then immediately became
serious. “Thank you,
mo ghra’
. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Now put them on. I want to see them in their new place of honor, adorning my
mate.”

As quick as she could, she replaced the pave balls she’d
worn for her mating ceremony with the earrings Liam had given her. Shaking her
head slightly, she smiled slyly as the bells hanging from her ears rang. “You
know what happens when a bell rings,” she chuckled.

He pulled her onto his lap and looked deep into her eyes.
“Who’s been sharing my secrets? I wanted to
show
you what happens.” She
knew he was just feigning hurt feelings, but played along anyway.

“Mel did, but you can remind me.”

“Oh, I will, Mrs. Drennen. You will never forget that when a
bell rings a dragon is kissing his mate.” And then he kissed her with the
absolute assurance of all their love-filled tomorrows. The kiss was slow and
passionate and so completely enthralling, Hannah simply melted. They continued
until both were panting and fighting to stay clothed.

Pulling back, Hannah gasped for air before spearing him with
a look she hoped conveyed raw passion and unbridled emotion. Avoiding his
advances, she refused to kiss him until she had her say. Placing her hands on
either side of his face, she held him still. Mustering all the courage she had,
she said the only thing that had been on her mind since they met. “Make me
yours, Mr. Drennan. Now and
forever
, make me yours.”

CHAPTER
FIVE

Hannah’s words were music to his ears. There was nothing in
the entire Universe he wouldn’t do to make her happy. The need to be joined
with his mate and consummate their union had been a living being within him
since the day they’d met, but he‘d decided to let her call the shots. The
moment she asked to be loved, all plans of a slow mating flew out the window
and both man and beast were figuring out the quickest way to get them home and
naked.

Grabbing her up, Liam used his enhanced speed and flew to
the cottage Rian had given him for the remainder of their stay. A place he and
his mate could be together…alone...to love one another as was the way of dragon
mates. In less than two minutes, they were standing next to their bed, looking
longingly into each other’s eyes.

Wanting their first time as an officially mated couple to
last as long as he could stand, Liam kissed the column of her neck, nipped
across the apex of her shoulder, and dragged the satin strap of her gown down
her arm with his teeth. Kissing his way back to her mouth, marking every inch
of her as his and his alone, he kissed her breathless and then repeated his
efforts on her other bare shoulder.

The more he tasted, the more labored Hannah’s breathing
became, making her breasts a temptation he could no longer resist. Kissing
across the neckline of her dress, letting his tongue dip under the satin
ribbing to taste the decadent flesh, was a treat from the gods. He loved that
she moaned with pleasure and pushed into his mouth, unable to resist the bonds
between them. Pulling down the zipper at her side, Liam kissed every inch of
naked flesh as it became visible. Hannah writhed under his attention, grabbing
his head to force it where she most wanted his touch. “Patience,
a chumann
.
I have a lot of time to make up for.”

She groaned her disapproval as he continued his slow
perusal. His mouth watered as he peeled away the cloth of her bodice, revealing
her voluptuous breasts and deep pink nipples begging for his lips and tongue.
Licking across first one and then the other, he was rewarded with an, “Oh,
sweet Goddess, Liam…please…
don’t…don’t
…” from his mate

“Don’t what,
mo chroi’
?” he asked against her heated
skin.

Before she could answer, he took the nipple he’d been
teasing between his lips, sucking and nipping until Hannah bowed her back, holding
him to her chest, and screaming his name. His hand kneaded her other breast,
working her nipple to an even harder point between his thumb and forefinger.

The scent of her arousal filled the room with the
tantalizing aroma of warmed Angel’s trumpets and Hannah, something he would
never get tired of inhaling. His dragon pushed and roared in his head,
demanding he continue undressing their beautiful mate, both man and beast
driven to taste all that she was. Releasing her breast, Liam immediately
latched onto the other, pushing her dress over her beautifully rounded hips,
letting his hands linger on her amazing curves, loving the fact that his mate
was all woman. His fingers stilled as he felt the thin lace of her underwear.

His mouth moved from her nipple, kissing the valley between
her breasts, leaving a trail of heat and seduction down her body. Reaching the
silk of her panties, Liam inhaled long and deep, immersing himself in Hannah’s
wonderfully unique scent. Unable to resist, he knelt between her thighs, tore
the gown from her body, and threw the offending material over his shoulder. Her
panties received the same treatment, leaving her gloriously naked and open to
feast upon as he desired.

Hannah was gorgeous when clothed, but naked she was a thing
of absolute beauty. As slowly as his growing need would allow, his eyes worked
their way from the bright pink of the polish that covered her toes, up her
shapely legs that very soon would be wrapped around his shoulders, to her soft
thighs he could not wait to have pillowing his head. Her rounded stomach and
curves fueled his extremely vivid imagination and begged to be kissed over and
over again.

“Liam?” His name on her lips drew his gaze.

“Yes,
mo chroi’
?” he crooned, massaging up and down
her thighs, sure to brush the outer lips of her pussy on every pass, loving
that her hips sought out his touch at every pass.

“Liam…I
need
…” She gasped, unable to complete her
thought as his index finger ran up and down her slit, wet with the proof of her
arousal.

“What is it you need,
mo ghra’
?” he teased, enjoying
her ragged breathing and inability to hold still. Liam stared at Hannah in the
throes of passion, wondering what he’d done right to have such an amazing mate.
He loved that her head was thrown back, eyes were closed tight, and mouth was
open wide as she called his name over and over like a mantra.

 “I…oh Goddess,
yes
…” She wailed as he pushed his
finger through her folds and teased the opening, her juices wetting his entire
hand. Her pussy contracted around the tip of his finger, attempting to pull his
digit all the way into her warm, wet passage. Adding another finger, he began
gliding in and out, her honey providing the perfect lubrication. His thumb drew
lazy circles around her swollen clit while his fingers continued to work her
towards an explosive orgasm. Every few swipes he bent the tips of his fingers
and gently brushed the very special bundle of nerves that drove his mate
insane.

Needing to taste her more than he needed his next breath, he
quickly removed his fingers, chuckled as Hannah whined at the loss, and then
drove his tongue into her pussy as far and as fast as he could. Her taste
exploded on his tongue, flashes of light bursting before his eyes. He devoured
his mate like a man possessed, grabbing every drop of the honey that flowed
from her. She tasted of sunshine and home and everything good and right in the
world. The more his tongue moved within her, the drunker he became on her
heavenly juices. Her hands pulled at his hair. Her legs came over his shoulders
and closed around his head. Breathing became almost impossible, and still he
consumed all she gave.

He felt her tense just a second before her orgasm overtook
her. Screaming his name, she came on his tongue, filling his mouth until her
juices ran down his chin. He continued to lick and tease as she came back to
earth.

Looking up, he found her smiling a lazy smile and gazing at
him through passion-filled, half-opened eyes. His only thought was to keep that
exact look on her face for eternity.

His cock pulsed against the zipper of his black pants. Not
wanting to leave his place between her thighs, but needing to feel her skin
against his, Liam stood in one fluid motion, threw off his surcoat, and tore
the black long-sleeved T-shirt over his head. His hands reached for the buckle
of his belt, only to be knocked away by Hannah’s.

His eyes flew to hers. “What…?”

“It’s my turn, Mr. Drennan,” she winked. He had no idea how
she had moved so quickly, but when she looked at him with such mischief in her eyes
and a grin that was perfect parts sweetness and seduction, all thoughts of
anything but being buried deep inside her fled from his mind.

Hannah undid his pants, never once losing eye contact. She
pressed her body to his, the sensation better than anything he’d ever felt. Her
hardened nipples pushed against the muscles of his chest and his mouth watered
with the need to taste her all over again. With her thighs pressing against
his, she turned their bodies until the bed bumped the back of his knees. His
pants slid down his legs, held up by his knee length boots. Liam started to
bend, but Hannah’s hands on his shoulders stopped his progress.

Shaking her head, she gently pushed until he sat on the side
of the bed and then drove the breath from his lungs as she knelt before him.
The look she gave him as she glanced up through the fringe of her long lashes
made his heart skip a beat. Needing to be inside her more than he needed to
breathe, Liam grabbed her shoulders, attempting to pull her onto his lap, boots
be damned. But Hannah simply shook her head once again, denying him the
pleasure he so desperately needed. His mate had a plan, one she would not
abandon, no matter how close to death she pushed him.

Lifting first one foot and then the other, Hannah removed
his boots and then his pants. She ran her nails, painted the same bright pink
as her toes, up his shins and across his thighs, stopping inches from his
straining cock. Hannah painted figure eights up and down his thigh, the
friction of her touch against the smattering of short, dark hair raising goose
bumps all over his body.

Her thoughts were completely open to him, letting him feel
as well as hear that
his
pleasure was her
only
focus. She wanted
to please him as he had pleased her and mark him as hers, just as she was his.

Coherent thought became impossible when her lips closed
around his cock. The air fled his lungs when she sucked as much of his
considerable length into her mouth as she could fit. Lost to their combined
thoughts, Liam had once again missed Hannah’s movement. With slow precision
that threatened his hard fought patience, she worked him in and out of her
mouth, her tongue massaging the pulsing vein that ran from base to tip.

His head fell back as his body shook with the sheer power it
took to restrain himself from lifting her off the floor, throwing her on the
bed, and burying himself deep inside her. The pleasure she gave him threatened
his very sanity.

“
You are killing me
, mo ghra’,” he sent directly in
her mind.

Her answering chuckle was maddening and incredibly sexy.
“You
can do it, my winged warrior. I believe in you.”

Any response he could have thought of was driven from his
mind when she pulled her head back until only his mushroom head lay in the
confines of her miraculous mouth. The tip of her tongue dipped into the slit at
the very tip, causing his cock to jump and the muscles in his thighs to shake.
She continued her exploration, licking all around the ridge while her hands
closed around his balls and massaged. Her nails scratched against his ass,
adding a whole new dimension to the web of love and seduction she wove.

In one swift motion, Hannah sucked him deep into her mouth,
the tip of his cock touching the back of her throat. She hollowed her cheeks
and swallowed while her hands worked the base of his shaft. He fell back, his
arms keeping him semi-upright as his balls drew tight against his body right
before he released into her mouth, his shout of ecstasy echoing throughout the
cottage.

As he floated down from the best orgasm of his life,
Hannah’s thoughts of undying love filled his soul while she continued to work
him across her sweet lips. Needing to feel her skin against his in the worst
way, Liam pulled his already hardening cock from her mouth and slid his hands
under her arms.

Hannah resisted. Instead, she pushed him onto his back and
Liam watched as his mate climbed over his body with the grace of a jungle cat.
Her heavy breasts hypnotized him as they swung side to side. Her hips followed
in the same seductive dance, making him cross-eyed with desire. The closer she
came, the clearer he could see the evidence of her desire as it wet the inside
of her thighs. His mouth watered with the need to once again have her taste on
his tongue.

However, her hands on his chest and the look in her eyes
stilled his movements. Hannah licked her lips, her tongue wetting a trail
across the top and then the bottom. Unable to look anywhere but her mouth, Liam
moaned in total bliss as she straddled his waist, his straining cock fitting perfectly
between the cheeks of her beautiful bottom. With her eyes locked on his, she
rocked her hips back and forth, lifting ever so slightly in order to drag his
erection through her juices.

Liam growled low in his throat as Hannah lifted to her
knees, gripped his cock, and positioned it at her opening. As she slowly seated
him within her warmth, her walls quickly adjusted to his girth, fitting around
him like a glove. They sighed in unison, the sound of complete bliss a loving
embrace between them. Never had two people fit more perfectly together.

He felt through their mating bond how important it was to
her to control their first coupling, and Liam resisted the urge to move. Her
feminine walls contracted more frequently and with more pressure until he was sure
he would embarrass himself.

“I’m going to die beneath you,
mo ghra’
,” he panted,
wheezing with the effort to breath.

“Can you think of a better way to go?” Hannah chuckled,
thankfully as breathless as he was.

Finally, right before Liam lost consciousness, Hannah
lifted, tightening around him as she raised high enough he feared falling from
her tight, warm sex. Instead, his mate descended, rolling her hips when she
touched down, starting a rhythm…rising and falling…tightening and
rolling…driving Liam and his dragon nearly insane.

His hands cupped her breasts, feeling the pebble of her
hardened nipple against his palm as he squeezed her silky skin. The sight of
his mate riding him with such wild abandon brought the beast to the forefront,
the dragon would no longer be denied. Grabbing her waist, he rolled them until
Hannah’s blue eyes were looking up at him. Her legs automatically tightened
around him, her hands grabbing his shoulders for purchase as he began thrusting
into her.

His control completely shattered as she met him thrust for
thrust. The sounds of their flesh slapping against one another mixed with their
harsh breaths filled the room. The faster they moved, the louder she moaned.
Her hands slipped from his shoulders and he felt the bite of her nails as they
slid down his back. His dragon roared and the man arched his back, thrilled he
had driven her to such heights.